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June 14, 2008

Canadian Wildfire Prompts Evacuation

by Sam Savage

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia as a wildfire ran rampant, authorities say.

John Webb, director of emergency social services for the provincial Community Services Department, said 1,261 homes in the Porters Lake and Lake Echo areas were evacuated as a precaution as a large wildfire threatened the region, The (Nova Scotia) Chronicle Herald reported.

They are confirming now which homes are either severely damaged or destroyed, Webb said.

And they are going to try and get hold of the people if there are those places. That's the trouble. There are still rumors.

An estimated 50 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which started Friday in western Halifax County, and a large water bomber was expected to join the effort.

Authorities told the Herald other smaller blazes had appeared throughout the province, but those blazes had mostly been contained by firefighters.